Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The President-General of the Ogoni Youth Federation and Spokesman of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum, Legborsi Yamaabana, has commended the resilience of Niger Delta youths, while backing the federal government’s efforts to resume oil and gas operations in Ogoniland.
Yamaabana, in a statement to mark the 2026 International Youth Day, yesterday, also called for greater inclusion of young people in consultations and operational frameworks surrounding the planned resumption of activities in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11.
He praised youths across the Niger Delta for their contribution to peace and stability, noting that their cooperation with government authorities and security agencies had helped create an environment conducive to increased oil production and national revenue.
“The recent gains in Nigeria’s oil output are a direct result of the commitment to peace demonstrated by our youth,” he said.
According to him, young people in the oil-producing region are increasingly committed to ending economic sabotage and working with security agencies and government institutions to promote sustainable development.
On Ogoniland, Yamaabana appealed for calm among youths and announced plans to convene an Ogoni Youth Congress in the coming days to deliberate on critical issues affecting young people in the area.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for efforts to restart oil and gas operations in Ogoniland after more than three decades, describing the successful resolution of the long-standing shutdown of OML 11 as a potential historic milestone for the administration.
While pledging the support of Ogoni youths for the resumption of exploration activities, Yamaabana stressed that young people must be directly involved in the process.
“While we fully support the federal government’s efforts to reactivate OML 11, the youth must be actively involved in all consultations and operational frameworks,” he said.
He warned that continued exclusion of youths was unsustainable, arguing that meaningful participation was essential to achieving lasting peace and sustainable oil production in Ogoniland.
Aligning his message with the 2026 International Youth Day theme, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” Yamaabana urged youths across Nigeria’s socio-political and ethno-religious divides to unite around common aspirations for peace, security, inclusive development and economic prosperity.